legal Definition of Merit Systems Protection Board
independent quasi-judicial agency in the executive branch charged with overseeing the personnel practices of the federal government. As successor to the U.S. Civil Service Commission, the MSPB is charged with preserving the integrity of federal merit systems (that is, systems in which appointments and promotions are based on competence rather than political favoritism) and the rights of federal employees working in the systems. The MSPB hears and adjudicates appeals by federal employees of adverse personnel actions (such as removals, suspensions, and demotions), orders corrective and disciplinary action when appropriate, reviews regulations issued by the Office of Personnel Management, and conducts special studies of the merit systems. Decisions involving allegations of discrimination may also be reviewed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and all MSPB decisions may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit or, in cases involving allegations of discrimination, to a U.S. District Court.
